Memories of Love
by ObiWanFan30
Summary: Sequel to I'm Here. As ObiWan helps Anya recuperate from injuries sustained from the battle with Darth Sidious, he reminisces about when their bond began to form and turn into love. ObixOFC. AU.


**Disclaimer: You know the drill. They're George's, except Anya. Enjoy!_

* * *

_**Obi-Wan was sitting by Anya's bedside, watching her rest. It had been a couple of days since they'd shared that first kiss, and now he'd begun to feel guilty about it, for two reasons. One, she'd been hot with fever from the Sith lightning at the time. He feared he'd taken advantage of her in her weakened state. And two, she was so young. _She's only twenty-two_, he reminded himself. _She needs someone closer to her age_, _not an old fool like me_.

"You're hardly an old fool, my master," Anakin said softly, coming into the healing room. "Has her fever broken?"

"It broke yesterday. All we have to worry about now is keeping her comfortable and helping her get her strength back. If you could stay with her for a few minutes, I'll go and get some broth for her."

Anakin nodded, and Obi-Wan hurried to the meal hall of the temple. As he prepared the broth, his mind began to wander to when the bond between them had begun to be forged…

_Seventeen-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi was spending assigned time in the Creche when the new arrival came_. _All the other Crechlings were sleeping so he'd just been sitting and waiting for one to wake up_. _The Creche mistress beckoned him over_.

"_Padawan Kenobi_, _this is Anya Wynn_. _She's three months old_._"_ _She smiled at the young Padawan_. _"Would you like to hold her?"_

_He smiled hesitantly_. _Glynn_, _the Creche mistress_, _smiled_. _"Don't worry_; _she has a cheerful disposition and enjoys anyone who gives her attention_._"_

_Obi-Wan felt the infant being placed in his arms_. _The baby whimpered a little_, _but the whimper turned into a yawn and her eyes fluttered_. _She contentedly looped her hand around his Padawan braid_.

_He sat down in the rocking chair with her in his arms_. _"You like that_, _huh?" He used his free hand to tickle her nose with his braid_. _Baby Anya sniffled and gurgled contentedly_.

He filled a bowl with broth, grabbed a bottle of juice, putting both on a tray, and took it back to the healing room. Anakin stood up, seeing his former master. "She's still sleeping, Obi-Wan. Want me to wake her up?"

"No, I can do that. Go on back to Padme. You've helped me enough these past couple of days, and I'm sure your wife must be frantic. That can't be good for the babies."

"Babies?" Anakin asked dumbly.

"Anakin, honestly, I thought you would've figured it out by now. Are you sure you're Force-sensitive?" the Jedi Master teased. "She's carrying twins."

The younger Jedi began to laugh. "Love has made you positively giddy. I guess I've been so busy lately that I haven't paid much attention to the vibes the Force was sending me about my wife. Let me know if you need anything; if anyone needs to reach me, I'll be at Padme's." He grinned and walked out of the healing room, leaving Obi-Wan and the sleeping girl alone.

Obi-Wan placed a hand on Anya's shoulder, giving her a gentle shake. "Wake up, Anya. I've brought some broth for you."

As she began to stir, he remembered the first time he'd fed her in the Creche…

_He was holding three and a half month old Anya in his arms as he gave her a bottle filled with formula_. _If only they had her mother's breast milk_, _but even if the Code weren't an issue_, _Anya's mother had died giving birth to her_. _When the Creche mistress had told him about that_, _his heart had broken on the baby's behalf_.

_He looked down at her as she drank from the bottle_. _He chuckled as she cooed and gurgled_. _"You're a noisy eater_,_"_ _he teased with a grin_. _She drank her fill_, _and then pushed the nipple out of her mouth_. _He then placed her against his shoulder and began to pat her tiny back to coax a burp out of her_. _His efforts bore fruit and she let out a loud burp_.

Anya woke up and with much effort, and help from Obi-Wan, she was able to pull herself into a sitting position. She tried to reach for a spoonful of broth, but discovered she was still very weak. "It's all right, Anya," he said soothingly, giving her a spoonful of broth. "I'll help you."

She smiled as she ate. "Thank you, Obi-Wan," she whispered. She managed to finish the bowl and then went back to sleep, leaving Obi-Wan to his memories…

_He saw her at Qui-Gon's funeral pyre_, _but he'd just been entrusted to take on Anakin as a Padawan learner, so he didn't get a chance to talk with her_. _The nine-year-old girl stayed close to Master Yoda_, _but their eyes met at one point_. _He could see the sympathy and compassion in their brown depths and was touched_. _He smiled at her sadly_, _and the moment was broken_…

The memories flashed by him then, the battles, the missions, the moments when they felt each other's pain and joy. He smiled as he remembered her giving him her Padawan braid as soon as she was conferred a Jedi Knight. It had been right before that fateful mission on Jabiim…

_Anya and Anakin had both passed the trials_, _and they were conferred Jedi Knights together_. _Her master_, _Ayala Secura_, _took her saber and sliced the Padawan braid_, _handing it to the newly conferred Knight_, _as Obi-Wan did the same to Anakin_.

_Once the ceremony was over_, _she came over to the older Jedi Master_, _her braid in her hand_. _"I wanted you to have this_,_"_ _she said shyly_, _handing him her Padawan braid_. _"If it weren't for you and Anakin_, _I probably wouldn't have made it to this point_. _I would've died on Rekam_._"_

_He looked at her, touched by her gesture_. _"I would be honored_, _Anya_._"_ _He took the braid_, _coiled_ _it and tucked it away in a hidden breast pocket in his Jedi tunic_. _They gazed at each other for a long moment_, _and then she smiled and walked away_, _joining her former master_.

He smiled as the memory faded away. He'd kept that braid tucked away in the hidden pocket of his tunic ever since, even during the time he'd been held captive by Ventress. Knowing that he had a part of his bond-mate with him was the only thing that had kept him going. He settled back in the chair, wanting to stay with her while she slept, remembering when he felt the pain of her current injury and illness…

_He'd been on Utapau_, _having just destroyed General Grievous and heading back to confer with Commander Cody_, _when he felt the sharp pain through his entire body_. _He was rendered breathless and fell to the ground_.

"_General Kenobi!" He could hear Cody yelling as he lay on the ground_. _The clone trooper crouched down beside his commanding officer_. _"General_, _are you all right?"_

_After a moment_, _he got up_. _"No_, _Cody_, _I don't think I am_. _There's trouble on Coruscant_, _I fear_._"_

"_Then go back_, _General Kenobi_,_"_ _the clone said simply_. _"We'll clean up here_. _After all_, _you did all the dirty work_. _We're just cleaning up after you_._"_ _He chuckled ruefully_ _and Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile weakly as he made his way to his starfighter_. _Before long_, _he was in space_, _heading for Coruscant_, _fearing the worst_. _Ever since Master Yoda had told him about his soul bond with young Anya_, _he'd become more protective of her_. _Protective and lately feeling something else_, _something he feared he had no business to feel for someone as young as her_. _He tried to push those thoughts out of his mind as he attached his starfighter to the hyperframe and went into light speed_.

He sighed as he recalled the events that sealed those feelings a couple of nights before, the kiss they'd shared, the feeling of her body in his arms, the mild arousal he'd felt when they'd cuddled, the love in her eyes and the longing to show him how much she loved him.

"Oh Anya," he whispered. "Once you're healed, I will show you how much I love you…"


End file.
